Follow the Fader

Secret Machines Now Down To A Duo

I've been following the career of Secret Machines for far too many years. As a Dallas/Fort Worth native, my early days of music obsession were deeply rooted in the local music scene, which is where their story began. From UFOFU and Comet to Tripping Daisy and Captain Audio, brothers Brandon and Benjamin Curtis along with drummer Josh Garza were quite active in several great bands in North Texas. When the three made their way to New York City, Secret Machines were born.

After one EP and two stellar albums, guitarist Benjamin Curtis has decided to leave the band in order to focus on his next project, School Of Seven Bells. Brother Brandon made the announcement on the band's message board, where he said: "After 7 and 1/2 years of playing music together Benjamin has decided to no longer be a part of the band. It is a sad day but also an exciting one as he prepares to focus full time on his new creative venture, School of Seven Bells. He has told me that he expects to be finished with a new record very soon as well as there being plans in the works to play some shows here in New York debuting the band. Of course Josh and I wish him all the best."

So what does this mean for the future of Secret Machines? Apparently Curtis and Garza are going to continue, as they have started work on their third full-length album. The guys are planning on entering the studio this May, although it is unknown if they will stay as a duo or if they will bring somebody new on board.

If you are curious about School Of Seven Bells, the group has one track posted on their MySpace page. They also have one date scheduled later this month, on March 31 at NYC's Tonic.